Flooring.



Ndl 885,751. y y PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

l S. W. HEATON.

FLOORING. y APPLIUATION FILED Arms. 190e.`

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UNITED. -sT-Arps- SAMUEL WILSON HEATON, UI` PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLOORING.

Specification of Letters Patent..

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309,320.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL WILSON HEATON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flooring, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to that class of block floors in which the blocks are laid on and interlocked with an adhesive foundation, such as mastic or asphaltum, and are interlocked with each other .in the desired pattern or arrangement. l

The object of the invention is to so sha e the block's'that they may be convenient y and accurately cut in the process of their manufacture, may be rapidly laid and assembled to form the Hoor with close joints'between the blocks, and will maintain their uniform level to produce an even and durable floor,l at the same time cuttin off the mastic from access to the surface of tIie floor.

Heretofore, blocks have been formed' for ioorsof this character having mastic engaging grooves near the bases of the blocks, but withous continuous or integral side and grooves.` In such constructions any swelling or warping of the blocks causes their side edges to et out of level with each other, and in case o the disengagement of the end .tongue of a block with the side tongue of the next block the former block would become entirely loose. The mastic base has been, in many constructions, chiefly relied upon to maintain the blocks in ,osition In some cases the blocks have a so, as above indicated, been rovided with end tongues to interlock rwit the sides of other blocks to keep the blocks in place.` But these methods have been found to be unsatisfactory, especially with the long blocks preferably employed, which are liable to spring away from the mastic at points between the end tongues. Dowels have also been employed, but this method is expensive, requires more timefor the laying of the floor, and renders' the surface of the floor less even unless considerable care is taken in the locating and fitting of the holes and dowels.

According to my imA rovement the adhesive base is aided in ee ing the block in place, and the floor level, by a substantiall continuous engagement along the full lengtfi of the block byva side tongue, which enters a corresponding side groove or end groove in tongues another block. I thus insure that the desiredv close union between the mastic and all parts of each block shall be maintained under practically all conditions of use. I also effectually cut off the mastic, or oils therefrom, from access to the surface of the Iioor.

The invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In order to makemy invention more clearly understood I have shown in the accompanying drawings means for carrying the same into practical effect, without limiting my improvements, in their useful applications, to the particular construction which, for the purpose of eXplanatiomI have illusL l trated.l

In said drawings-Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a Hoor embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, on a larger scale, on line II of F' 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view, on line III of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective blocks. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the use of a slip tongue.

Referring to the drawings, able foundation, which may cement. i

B is an adhesive base on the top surface of the foundation A. This is, or may be, a mastic or asphaltum applied in aheated and more or less fluid condltion. It may A is any suitbe concrete or be ap-l plied by dipping the bottoms of the bloc s successively ma vessel Acontaining the mastic and then applying the blocks, assembling and interlocking them in the desired pattern, to the foundation.

C is one of the blocks, of the preferred shape, seen best in Fig. 4. It is by preference formed with a continuous side tongue 1, a continuous corresponding side groove 2 on viewl of one of the the side opposite to the tongue, and with an end groove 3 at eachend, the tongue being formed horizontal. plane. of being assembled in different atterns, that which is preferred, and for which'this block is more especially designed being 'the herringbone pattern, shown 1n Fig. 1, in which the blocks are laid side to side and end vto side. Inassembling theiblocks for this pattern a certain number of them are laid side to side With the tongues 1 4interlocking with the grooves 2, lthe ends of the blocks extending successively beyond the ends of the preceding blocks to accommodate the ends of another all the grooves and at the same level or These'blocks are capable series of blocks laid out at right angles to the iirst mentioned series. Where an end groove 3 meets a side tongue 1 it interlocks therewith, as seen at 4. At intervals an end groove 3 will meet a side 'groove 2 and at such point or line 8 there is not a direct interlocking of one block with another. To eiiect an interlocking at some of' these points, where the exigencies of the iioor (such as an unevenness of the surface lof the foundation A) require that the blocks should be interlocked, I provide short slip tongues 5' to be inserted in a groove 2 and a groove 3 where such grooves come opposite to each other, as seen in Fig. 5. The lines 8 are of short extent, and I have found that an interlocking at such points is not necessary, and only occasionally desirable g for the blocks are otherwise firmly interlocked with each other, and along the lines S the side of one block is interlocked with the mastic by the groove 6 hereinafter described. Moreover, by dispensing with any end tongue I attain some economy of material and time in laying, and the blocks are not required to be made rights and lefts but may all be counterparts.

6 indicates the mastic-engaging grooves of usual shape, formed near the bottom of the block at the sides of the same, below the tongue l and groove 2. At the ends of the block I prefer to form bevels 7 inclining downwards and inwards from the lower edgesof the lower lips of the end grooves 3, to accommodate the mastic and allow of a close fitting ofthe ends of the blocks. The spaces formed by the bevels 7 prevent any mastic being forced up at the said points 8 and said bevels act to force the mastic into the opposing grooves 6, as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

serif/5i realized by making the tongues l separate from the blocks in the form of slip tongues of the character of that shown at 5, the blocks being grooved on both sides.

What I claim is" 1. A series of blocks for a flooring, to be laid on a mastic base, each of said blocks being formed with an integral side tongue l, an 'opposite side groove 2,. end grooves 3, downwardly and inwardly extending end bevels 7 below the end grooves, and side grooves 6 below the said tongue and side groove, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. A wooden block fioor consisting of a base of adhesive material, and blocks laid thereon and interlocked with each other, the blocks being each provided with a side tongue and with an opposite side groove, the side tongue of one block being interlocked with the side groove of the next block, and also provided with end grooves certain of which are interlocked with the side tongues of contiguous blocks, and also provided with spaces to receive the adhesive material, such spaces being situated below the side tongues, the blocks having end bevels 7 to force the adhesive material into said spaces,substan tially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aitix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

sAMU't wiLsoN HnAroN.

Witnesses:

S. SPENCER CHAPMAN, WILLIAM E. CHAPMAN. 

